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With their impressive size and luxurious white coat, the Great Pyrenees is a truly majestic dog. Valued for independence, vigilance, and protective instincts, the breed later gained popularity among French aristocrats before being established in the United States through the efforts of Mary Crane. Today, while some still work as livestock guardians, most Great Pyrenees serve as family companions while retaining their strong protective nature.
Ancient Livestock Guardians of the Pyrenees
Thousands of years ago in the mountains of Asia Minor, the area which includes modern-day Turkey, this breed’s ancestors played vital roles in human survival. These livestock guardians helped shepherds keep valuable flocks safe.
Eventually, some of these large, usually white, dogs trekked westward with owners and flocks. They migrated to what would become the Basque Country, located on the northwestern edge of the Pyrenean Mountains between France and Spain. Also known as the Pyrenees, this area has rugged land with steep cliffs and high waterfalls.
In the winter, the dogs would protect flocks grazing in the warmer valleys. In the summer, canine guardians and the sheep moved to higher elevations. No matter the season or location, the dogs kept a watchful eye on cattle, sheep, and homestead, and protected against wolves and bears. These dogs were especially valued for their ability to stay with and guard flocks of sheep without human supervision.
Known officially by the AKC as the Great Pyrenees, the breed is also called the “Pyrenean Mountain Dog” in many parts of the world. In France, it is sometimes referred to as the “Patou” or, more formally, “Le Chien de Montagne des Pyrenees,” meaning the dog of the mountains.
Living and Working Alongside Livestock
The Great Pyrenees spent centuries guarding sheep, cattle, and homesteads throughout the Pyrenees Mountains. During winter, the dogs protected livestock grazing in lower valleys. In summer, they accompanied flocks to higher elevations.
These guardians were especially valued because they could work independently. Shepherds often trusted them to stay with flocks for long periods without direct supervision. Their calm temperament allowed them to move among sheep without causing alarm, while their thick white coats helped them blend into the flock until predators approached.
The breed’s dense double coat also provided protection from harsh mountain weather. Because predators typically attacked at night, Great Pyrenees developed strong nocturnal awareness, a trait still common in the breed today.
A common misperception is that the Great Pyrenees belongs to the Mastiff family. However, DNA evidence indicates the Pyrenees and Mastiffs aren’t related. Research indicates the breed appears to be more closely related to Mediterranean breeds like the Pharaoh Hound, Cirneco dell’Etna, Ibizan Hound, Komondor, and Kuvasz.
How Royal Attention Changed the Breed
The history of the Great Pyrenees includes many stories involving European royalty. While some accounts have been debated over the years, many historians accept that royal interest played a significant role in the breed’s development and popularity.
According to legend, King Louis XIV of France supposedly named the Pyrenees the Royal Dog of France in 1665. He was known as a collector and lover of animals, including more than 200 hunting dogs. However, his choice of the Pyrenees seems odd, since he isn’t widely mentioned as owning one at this point.
In 1675, the king’s 8-year-old son fell in love with a Great Pyrenees on a visit to Barèges, located in the French Pyrenees. According to historians of the Great Pyrenees Club of America, the prince brought the dog back home with him. Two years later, important military and political official the Marquis de Louvois also visited the Barèges area and returned home with a Great Pyrenees.
These high-profile introductions helped make the breed fashionable among French aristocrats, who valued the dogs as estate guardians as well as status symbols. Other famous reported owners of Great Pyrenees include Queen Marie Antoinette of France and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Today, most Great Pyrenees historians accept that these accounts are largely true. Joan Ziehl, breed historian for the Great Pyrenees Club of America emphasizes how royal attention changed the breed.
“When the royals ‘found’ the Pyrenees, it created for the first time a need for two types — one large and rangy for the farmers, and the other shorter with less coat and more of a protector of the mansion for the wealthy. From these two types, the modern Pyrenees was developed,” she explains.
Bringing the Great Pyrenees to America
In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette brought the first Great Pyrenees to the United States. He gave the two dogs, both males to dog enthusiast John Stuart Skinner. Skinner later wrote a well-received book about dogs, called “The Dog and the Sportsman” in which he described the pair and recounted their importation. Regardless, some accounts describe these two male Pyrs as the America’s first breeding pair, though the book makes no mention of Lafayette ever bringing a female Pyrenees to America.
However, the long-term success of the breed in America is largely credited to Mary Crane and her husband, Francis Crane.
Mary Crane, the daughter of a Massachusetts governor, was a Boston socialite and pet owner. She fell in love with the breed in 1930, after a friend returned from Europe with a pair of Pyr puppies. Not long before, the breed had been formalized in France, thanks to the foundation of the breed club, the Réunion des Amateurs de Chiens Pyrénées. The Pyr breed standard (the basis for later Pyr breed standards) was first published in 1927.
In 1931, Crane imported two Pyrs from Europe. The female, “Anie,” died of distemper, but the male, “Urdos,” became a foundational figure for the breed in America. His achievements included being the first Great Pyrenees to be shown at an AKC show (1932), sire of the first Pyrenees litter born in America (1933), and the first AKC champion Great Pyrenees (1934).
Crane later referred to Urdos as the father of the breed in America.
Mary Crane’s Lasting Impact on the Breed
Crane’s Basquaerie Great Pyrenees kennel produced many “firsts” for the Great Pyrenees. The outstanding dogs hailing from her kennel include the first Pyr obedience titlist and the first AKC Working Group winner. She brought the breed to the attention of the dog-loving public.
Her wealth and social clout helped open doors, and the AKC recognized the Great Pyrenees as a regular member of the Working Group in 1934.
“Her talents were organization and promotion,” says Ziehl. “She was unflagging in her promotion of the Great Pyrenees, and brought the breed the AKC recognition she desired.”
The Cranes made repeated trips to Europe, brushing elbows with both royalty and the fabulously wealthy, many of whom kept huge kennels of Pyrenees. They always brought four or five dogs home with them, eventually importing 60 Pyrenees from a variety of Europe’s finest bloodlines.
Preserving the Great Pyrenees During World War II
By the time of their last trip, in 1939, World War II had already cut off supplies needed to feed dogs. One of France’s top breeders brought Crane seven famished Pyrs, knowing their only hope of survival would be in America.
The dogs and their bloodline were saved, though the breeder was never heard from again.
“Mrs. Crane was clearly the savior of the breed,” says Ziehl. “Without her, I surely doubt that the dog we know today would have survived in Europe. There were desperate times in France, where feeding a kennel of dogs was unthinkable. These people could barely feed themselves. She became a lifeline for many French breeders to save their bloodlines by taking the dogs and shipping them to the U.S.”
Of course, not every endeavor of the Cranes turned out as hoped. During World War II, the couple donated many Great Pyrenees to the Dogs for Defense Program, but none of them worked out and all were eventually returned.
Ziehl explains, “The largest problem was they protected as far as they could roam. With no fences or containers they scattered, finding and protecting people and animals alike.”
The Return of the Working Great Pyrenees
Around the same time, the wolf and bear population began to dwindle in the Pyrenees Mountains, so Pyrs found that their role as flock guardians was becoming less in demand. By the end of World War II, few working Pyrs remained in the mountains.
Eventually, governments decided to reintroduce wolves to the area, but the plan worked a little too well. The wolf population grew to the point they once again preyed on the flocks, causing significant losses until someone remembered the old way of protecting the flocks: with dogs.
In 1993, officials decided to reintroduce dogs as flock guardians. It didn’t go well at first, as a very limited number of Pyrs from working lines still existed. Even those dogs needed training and somebody who knew how to train them. But eventually, the dogs were back at work, keeping the wolves at bay. North American ranchers took note and began using Pyrs to guard their livestock.
Today, it’s not a rare sight to see a flock of sheep accompanied by a Great Pyrenees, with no person around.
The Great Pyrenees Today
Although the breed continues to work as a livestock guardian in some areas, most Great Pyrenees now live as companion dogs. Their centuries of guarding livestock, however, continue to shape their temperament.
“Fewer than 10% of Pyrenees bred in the world are used as working dogs,” says Ziehl. “The others not used as working dogs have adapted to become house dogs, channeling their need to protect their families. The need to protect will always be a vital part of the Pyrenees DNA.”
Key Takeaways
- The Great Pyrenees originated as an ancient livestock guardian in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.
- The breed spent centuries protecting sheep and homesteads from wolves, bears, and other threats.
- French royalty helped increase the breed’s popularity and influence its development.
- Mary Crane played a major role in establishing and preserving the Great Pyrenees in the United States.
- Although most Great Pyrenees are now companion dogs, the breed retains its strong guardian instincts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What was the original purpose of the Great Pyrenees breed?
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The Great Pyrenees was originally bred to guard livestock and protect flocks of sheep from predators such as wolves and bears. Unlike herding breeds, Great Pyrenees dogs worked independently and remained with the animals they protected.
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Why is the Great Pyrenees called a Pyrenean Mountain Dog?
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The Great Pyrenees developed in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. In many parts of the world, the breed is still known as the Pyrenean Mountain Dog because of its geographic origins and long history in the region.
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Who helped establish the Great Pyrenees in the United States?
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Mary Crane was the person most responsible for establishing the Great Pyrenees in the United States. Through extensive imports and promotion, she helped preserve bloodlines and secure AKC recognition for the breed.
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Why are Great Pyrenees naturally protective?
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Great Pyrenees dogs were bred for centuries to guard livestock without direct supervision. This long history of independent protection continues to influence the breed’s temperament and contributes to its strong guardian instincts today.
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When did the American Kennel Club recognize the Great Pyrenees?
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The American Kennel Club recognized the Great Pyrenees as a regular member of the Working Group in 1934. Recognition followed years of promotion and breed development in the United States, particularly through the efforts of breeder and advocate Mary Crane.